A Different Kind of Revenge
by AnEclecticKat
Summary: AU. After the birth of their daughter, Emma, Snow White and Prince Charming put on a grand feast to celebrate the Evil Queen's seemingly failed curse. However, little do they know that Regina has something else in mind for her revenge. Something far worse.
1. Chapter 1

- Hello all! :) This is my first attempt at writing OUAT fanfiction, and my first story to officially publish online. I am completely in love with OUAT, and with the Charming family, and I've had this idea bouncing in my head for a while now, begging to be written down. Please review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism welcomed with open arms. :) Hope you enoy! -

It had been a long and dazzling night. As a celebration of their daughter Emma's birth, and the Evil Queen's apparent failed curse, Prince Charming and Snow White had thrown a grand ball, inviting everyone in the Kingdom to join them for a night of festivity and dancing. However, the night had finally drawn to a close. Prince Charming had begun to send their guests away after his exhausted wife had fallen asleep on his shoulder, much to her chagrin.

"Charming, I'm fine! There's no need to send everyone home," Snow protested.

"Snow, you're practically asleep on your feet. You just had a baby, and you need your rest. It was an amazing night, but everyone had to go home at some point." Charming finished with a smile, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Snow smiled at the mention of their daughter, and leaned her head on Charming's shoulder.

"You know, it's funny," Snow began thoughtfully, "I already miss her." Snow trailed off with a smile, leaning her head on her Prince's shoulder as she and James began to walk out of the doors of the banquet hall.

Charming pulled her more tightly into his side, chuckling, and placed a kiss to the side of her temple.

"I know, I do too." Charming said with a growing smile, guiding his wife towards the grand staircase. The Prince was still staggered at the bubble of affection that arose in him at merely the thought of his newborn daughter, and couldn't help but marvel at the utter love and adoration he already had for Emma.

"I think this is the first evening we've spent apart from her," Charming said thoughtfully.

Snow pulled away from him slightly, grinning, and tugged his hand more urgently towards the staircase.

"Let's go see her!"

Charming laughed and jogged to keep up with her.

"Snow, she's probably asleep. We don't want to wake her up and have her crying all night again." Charming finished with a poignant look at Snow, who promptly responded with a light shove to his shoulder.

"Excuse me, Charming, that was one time! I just wanted to see her sleeping!" Snow finished with a pout, frowning up at Charming, who laughed and pulled her into his side once more as they made their way up the giant staircase. As they passed a sentry standing guard at the banister, he visibly gave a start and looked at Snow White in surprise.

"Your Highness, didn't you just walk up these stairs a few moments ago?"

Snow White felt the smile vanish from her face. Suddenly, she found it very hard to breathe.

"No, I did not."

Snow looked at Charming with panic, seeing her own fear mirrored in his eyes.

" Lawrence, where did you see me go?" Snow said slowly.

The guard suddenly looked very uneasy.

"Down the left corridor, Your Majesty."

Charming and Snow looked at each other in unrestrained fear, each knowing exactly the significance of the left corridor of the castle. The left corridor housed the royal chambers. The left corridor included Emma's nursery. Charming was racing up the stairs in the next heartbeat, with Snow close behind him. Snow couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. Few people possessed the magic powerful enough to take another's form. And she could think of only one who desired nothing more than revenge against her—Regina. Regina, her twisted stepmother, who would stop at nothing, would stop at harming _no one_, in order to cause her stepdaughter the most pain. One thought pounded through her head along with her frantic heartbeat.

_Emma. _

Her precious baby girl, her little miracle.

_Emma._

Her daughter. The baby with her chin and Charming's eyes.

_Emma._

The baby who captured her heart the moment she laid eyes on her.

_Emma._

The baby who had yet to take her first steps, but whom she could already picture attending her first ball.

Charming and Snow scrambled around the corner into the corridor where Emma's nursery lie, racing into the room and calling Emma's name. They both came to a screeching halt when they entered the room, as they saw the thing that they had hoped to never see, the thing that haunted their nightmares.

There, standing over Emma's crib and reaching in to pick her up, was Regina.

Snow felt her heart stop.

"Regina... Put. Emma. Down." Snow said slowly, frozen in the doorway. Snow's eyes darted between the Evil Queen and her daughter, raising her arms in an attempt to reason with the manic woman. She clutched Charming's arm, who was reaching slowly for his sword.

Regina looked up with a smile, shushing them with a wave of her hand.

"Shhh… the baby is sleeping."

Charming took a cautious step towards Regina, heart hammering in his chest, eyes flickering to the precious bundle held precariously in the Evil Queen's arms. Trying to move slowly in an effort to not startle the unstable woman and cause her to harm his daughter, he slowly raised his sword, speaking slowly and menacingly.

"You heard her Regina. Put my daughter DOWN, before anyone gets hurt."

Regina cackled at this, smirking at Charming condescendingly before flicking her wrist and sending him smashing into the wall, vines encasing his body and pinning his struggling limbs. Snow cried out, reaching for him, only to be stopped by another flick of Regina's wrist, sending her flying into the opposite wall.

"The only people getting hurt here are you, _Charming_," Regina said with a sneer.

Regina turned from the Prince and Snow White and held Emma out, looking at her in a cold and calculating manner, speaking slowly and mockingly,

"Look at you, baby Emma. I believe this is the first time we've been formally introduced." Regina smiled wickedly, purring down at the newborn baby.

"I thought I should come and see the little miracle the whole kingdom has been making a fuss over."

Emma stirred in her sleep, opening her blue eyes wide and staring into the eyes of the Evil Queen.

"They used to do the same for me, although for perhaps a different reason." Regina smirked slightly, continuing on, "Us trouble makers had better stick together, little princess. After all, we are _family._" Regina snarled the last word, looking pointedly at Snow White, who glared at the Queen with tears rising in her eyes.

"I think you'll do quite well as my apprentice, don't you think?" Regina finished with a coo, placing a finger on Emma's nose as the baby began to cry after being awoken.

Charming struggled fiercely against the vines that held him, making sounds of protest, unable to speak due to the vine across his mouth, eyes open wide from panic and anger.

Regina ignored the Prince, stalking over to where Snow White stood pinned to the wall, shaking her head feebly from side to side, mouthing _No, No, No, _tears streaming openly down her face. Regina brought her face up to Snow White's, snarling in barely restrained rage.

"I told you I would take away your happiness, _Snow White_," she spat. "You believed that imp about a curse? Please." Regina laughed wickedly, bringing her face level to Snow White's once again.

"I'm going to take away your daughter, Snow White. I'm going to raise her as my own, and teach her all about how _evil_ Princess Snow White and Prince James are. I'm going to raise her to hate you, to depise you with every _fiber _of her being, just as I do." Regina finished with a sneer, backing away slightly. As Snow once again thrashed desperately against the bindings that held her, Regina tightened the vines around her, finding pleasure in watching her struggling cease as she cried out in agony. From across the room, Regina could hear James' muffled shouts as he desperately tried to reach for his family.

"But don't worry, my dear. One day you'll see her again." Regina walked away with a smirk, moving towards Emma's crib once again, as Emma's cries became wails.

Regina looked darkly at Snow.

"When I send her to _kill_ you."

Regina cackled manically, and tightened her grip on a now wailing Emma, whose arms were now reaching out towards her parents in desperation, as if sensing the separation soon to come.

Taking one last look at a now sobbing Snow White, and thrashing Prince Charming, the Queen made sure to take note of the agony in their expressions, reveling in the pain she caused. Finally, she would have her revenge.

Smiling wickedly and holding out Emma so that her parents would have one last look at her crying face, Regina raised her hand and in a moment, she had vanished, taking Emma with her in a cloud of purple smoke.


	2. Chapter 2

My goodness! I wasn't expecting such a response to this story! You all are so great! Thank you so much for your comments, I so apreciate the feedback. :) Here's chapter 2! Review and tell me what you think! Hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

With a pop, suddenly the vines pinning Snow White and Prince James to the wall disappeared. Falling to the ground, for a moment, there was only silence. James breathed heavily, staring in disbelief at the crib where his precious daughter had laid only moments ago, and felt his throat constrict. Slowly picking himself off the ground, he hoarsely called for Snow, turning to where she lay on the other side of the room, shaking with suppressed sobs. Swallowing back his own tears, he made his way over to his wife, dropping to his knees beside her.

"Snow.." He was barely able to choke out the word before her arms were wrapped tightly around him, and her face was buried in his chest.

"She….She took her Ja-ames." Snow managed to choke out between sobs.

"She took our baby… She took E..E…Emma!" Snow wailed, clinging to her husband, and feeling as if the floor had dropped out beneath her.

Her precious baby girl, whose coming they had awaited with anxious anticipation. The baby who she already loved more than she thought possible… was gone. Due to the Evil Queen's vendetta against _her_, her daughter was punished.

"My fault…my fault, James…I'm so…I'm so sorry…" Snow whispered into his shoulder, feeling as if she could no longer breathe from the guilt that consumed her. James' grip on her tightened, and he pulled her even closer.

"This is not your fault Snow, this could never be your fault." James whispered fiercely. Regina _took_ our daughter.." James' voice broke. Trying to collect himself, he continued, "There is nothing that you've done that could ever excuse that. You've done nothing wrong…"

Tears streamed openly down the Prince's face as he rocked Snow back and forth, desperately searching his mind for something to say, for some reassurance that would make everything better. He could find nothing. His baby daughter, who had half of his heart from the moment he laid eyes on her, had been ripped from them by a madwoman, and he had done nothing. He had stood by, unable to protect his family, and watched the most important thing in his world be ripped apart before his very eyes. The thought broke him in two.

James pulled away slightly, forcing Snow to look up at him. A lump formed in his throat at the sight of her red face and swollen eyes, eyes that contained a pain he had never seen before.

"Snow, we _will_ find her. We will. We will _always_ find her."

Snow let out a heart-wrenching sob at that, and nodded, burying her face into James' chest once again. James held tightly onto her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, and breathed in slowly through his nose.

At that moment, the door to Emma's nursery burst open. Led by Lawrence, five armed guards burst into the room, flanking out and searching the room for a sign of a threat. Spotting the Prince and the Princess huddled together on the floor, Lawrence ran quickly over to them.

"Your Majesties, are you alright?" He inquired softly, peering over them for signs of injury.

The Prince and Princess turned to him, and he felt a pit form in the bottom of his stomach at the pain in their expressions.

"Where. Were. You?" Snow White hissed out, eyes blood red, and voice hoarse from crying.

Lawrence took a step back, startled at the Princess's reaction.

"I..I don't know what you mean Your Highness.." Lawrence trailed off, seeing the Prince and Princess stand to their feet, eyes blazing.

The Prince spoke up, voice dangerously calm.

"She means, _Lawrence,_ where have you been while our daughter, the baby you were assigned to protect, was taken under YOUR WATCH?" James roared, stepping forward with his hand on his sword. Snow White held onto his arm, restraining him, but eyes still ablaze with anger.

Lawrence felt his heart begin to pound uncontrollably. The Prince, usually known for his kind hearted nature and good humor, looked as if he would slit his throat without a second thought. Lawrence had never seen the Prince in such a rage. He knew he should be fearing for his life and yet…all he felt was the pit in his stomach open even further with guilt.

_No, no, no_… Not the princess. Not the sweet little girl who cooed at him from her crib and made him feel as protective as he would over his own child. How could he have been so careless? How could he not have seen this?

Lawrence stuttered under the Royal Couple's harsh gaze.

"I… I am so sorry Your Majesties…We got here as soon as we could…I… I should have seen…"

James' voice rose even louder, voice shaking with rage.

"YES! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN. YOU HAD ONE JOB, AND YOU FAILED." James roared, breathing heavily. Lawrence shrank from the Prince's wrath, and Snow gripped his arm tighter.

"James…" Snow reached a hand up for his cheek, turning his face to meet hers. Snow's heart ached at the rage and agony that she saw in his expression, but saw him soften as he rested his gaze on her.

"James…it's not his fault either…It's no one's…." Snow trailed off, tears filling her eyes once more, stroking James' cheek. James swallowed hard, and nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. Turning to Lawrence, he sighed heavily.

"My wife is right, Lawrence, it isn't your fault." James paused, attempting to regain his composure.

"I apologize for losing my temper the way I did. If the fault lies with anyone, it lies with me. I should have stopped her, I should have protected my family."

James looked away, feeling Snow grip his hand and hearing her murmur, "No, James…"

James met Lawrence's gaze once again, turning his mind from his failure and focusing on the task at hand. Clearing his throat, he tried to once more regain control, and become the ruler he needed to be.

"I need you to take all of your men and begin a sweep of the forest. Spread out and search for any signs of the Queen, or of anyone who is associated with her. If there is any news, report directly back to me. If not, continue searching until tomorrow morning, then return to the castle, and we will regroup and go on from there." James ordered, making eye contact with each of the guards that lined the room. He turned to his wife, grasping both of her hands in his own, and speaking to the entirety of the room while locking her gaze with his own.

"We're going to find my daughter."

* * *

Regina appeared in her castle in a cloud of purple smoke. Looking around at the darkened room, with the fireplace in the corner, and the table and chairs where she had begun to formulate her grand plan, it finally began to sink in.

She had done it. After years of torturous waiting, looking for an opportunity to exact her revenge on the woman who had ruined her life, she had finally done it. She closed her eyes, picturing the look of heartbreak on Snow White's face when she had taken her daughter from her. A triumphant smile crept across the Queen's countenance as she pictured the agony Snow White and her Prince must be enduring at this very moment.

Suddenly, a piercing wail filled the air. The Queen, snapped from her reverie, looked down at the baby in her arms in surprise. She had been so focused on the execution of her plan, and of the pain she would cause Snow White, she had forgotten about the rather lengthy second step: raising a child. Regina's brow wrinkled in confusion. She had no idea how to raise a child, much less how to make a baby stop crying. Regina tried rocking Emma back and forth in an effort to shush the red faced child.

"Shh….Emma…don't cry…" Regina attempted, awkwardly swinging the infant back and forth. Emma in response only wailed louder, waving her arms in protest.

The Queen frowned. This might be more difficult than she thought. Deciding to try a different approach, she set Emma down on her armchair.

Regina thought her ears might burst from the cries that ensued from the baby at this action. She was almost in awe of the fact that a being so small could make so much noise. However, this small amount of wonder faded quickly as Emma's wails continued to pierce her eardrums. Regina groaned in frustration.

"What do you want? Why won't you stop crying?!" The Queen cried, massaging her temples. Watching the infant sob and writhe, Regina felt a growing fear nagging at the back of her mind. What had she gotten herself into? Sighing, she scooped up the small child, feeling pity for the baby who was looking as if she might burst from the noise her little body was emitting. Placing a hand on the back of Emma's head, she pulled the infant to her shoulder, bobbing up and down, murmuring words of comfort.

"Shhhh…. It's alright little princess….Shhhh…." Regina soothed, rubbing Emma's back in small circles. To her pleasant surprise, the baby's cries began to lessen, fading to a soft gurgle as the infant settled into Regina's shoulder. After a few more minutes of rocking, Emma was sound asleep. Regina smiled softly, pulling Emma from her shoulder to gaze at her small form. She was amazed at the peace in her expression. The innocence of a child truly was a wonder to behold. She looked so much like her mother…. Regina was snapped out of her musings at the thought of her stepdaughter. Her stomach panged with a feeling she could not quite identify. It almost felt like guilt. Guilt at tearing this precious child from parents that loved her. Regina shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the foolish notion. No, they had earned this. The suffering Snow White and her precious Prince had forced her to endure was inexcusable. She would _not_ feel guilty. She smiled broadly, feeling the pit in her stomach fade away. Walking to the window, she peered out at the forest below her before looking down at a still sleeping Emma.

"Now, my little Princess," The Queen purred, stroking her cheek.

"It's time to make sure your foolish parents never find us…"

Cackling softly to herself as to not wake the slumbering infant, Regina stalked away from the window and walked out of the room, ready to enact the curse that would seal the success of her perfect plan.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Goodness, I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Life has been crazy of late, and I have had next to no time to write! :( I wrote this chapter in a spur of the moment, highly sleep deprived state, so I hope it turned out alright. ;) Enjoy, and review to let me know what you think! :)

* * *

The first thing Snow White noticed about the passageway was the smell.

_Musty, _she mused.

She wondered how it must feel to be trapped down here permanently, feeling smothered under the constant atmosphere of grime and wetness.

Not that it would give much pause to the jail's only inhabitant.

Snow White gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of the manipulative imp, suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding as she and her husband once more made the journey into the castle dungeons.

The first search of the forest has been unsuccessful. After searching for several days for the lost Princess, Prince Charming and Snow White's Knights had come back empty-handed and exhausted, sadly admitting their own failure to find any trace of the Queen, or any news of her whereabouts. After many heated discussions with the War Council, and conversations of their own, Snow White and her Prince had decided that the only person who could possibly know the Queen's plan was the man who led them astray before: Rumplestiltskin. Snow had first presented the idea, and although at first vehemently opposed to the idea of exposing their family once more to the sorcerer's manipulative deal making, James agreed, deciding that too much was at stake otherwise.

Now that she found herself walking the dark, wet passages once more, Snow began to second guess herself. Who was to say Rumplestiltskin would not trick them into a deal as he did before, and not hold up his end of the bargain? Snow chanced a glance to her husband, searching for any sign of doubt reflected on his features, and noted the opposite. Her heart began to slow its frantic beat as she observed the grim set to his jaw, and the purposeful pace with which he walked. _No_, she thought, _they were doing the right thing._ This was their last hope at finding their daughter. Come what may, no matter what she had to sacrifice, she would find her baby.

The passage opened ahead, and Snow White saw the torch light flicker on the jagged bars of a single jail cell. Keeping her head high, she took a deep breath.

She could do this.

Her daughter needed her.

* * *

Regina stood, baby in one arm, last ingredient of the curse in another, contemplating.

This was it. This was the final step in her plan of revenge. The ingredients in this bottle would set a curse on this land that would transport them all to a land of her choosing: a land without magic.

A land where time would be frozen in a perpetual state of her own happy ending, and everyone else's suffering.

Regina circled slowly around the black cauldron in front of her, staring down at the simmering liquid, before glancing once more at the slumbering baby cocooned in her arms. For a moment, she once more felt the telltale signs of guilt creeping into her heart as she thought of what she was about to do.

_Emma would grow up without ever knowing her parents._

_Without ever knowing they loved her._

Regina's heart clenched as she thought of the lack of love she had received from her own parents, and was struck by the overwhelming urge she felt to shelter this baby from the pain she had experienced.

Regina shook the thought from her mind, setting her eyes firmly in front of her.

No, Emma would know love. Looking down at the little princess, Regina couldn't help but feel a bubble of affection rise in her at the sight of her step-grand daughter.

Regina would raise Emma as her own. She would be the best mother Emma could dream of, and, when the time was right, Emma would learn the truth of her own heritage and see the wickedness of her birth parents.

A slow smile crept across the Evil Queen's face.

Yes, she would raise Emma in preparation of the final battle that would ensue once the curse was broken. Emma would be so endowed with hatred for Snow White and her Prince that she would kill them without a second thought, just as the Royal Couple were awakened from their slumber and remembered that she was their daughter.

Cackling in triumph, and in the promise of Snow White's future suffering, the Evil Queen raised the small vial in front of her and drained it into the cauldron, bringing Emma closer as purple clouds began to billow around them.

"Mommy did it, Little Princess."

Regina whispered gleefully to the infant, cackling in unrestrained glee as she closed her eyes, and let the curse overtake her.

"Mommy finally did it."

* * *

Rumplestiltskin sat perched in the corner of his cell, waiting.

As he observed Snow White and Prince James come storming into his view, he couldn't contain the giggle that escaped him.

_This was going to be fun._

The Prince spoke first, coming to a halt mere inches from the bars of his cell, snarling in barely contained rage.

"You tricked us, imp."

Snow White stood close behind her husband, glaring icily at the sorcerer.

Rumplestiltskin smiled wickedly, hopping to his feet, and bringing his face level to the Prince's.

"Whatever do you mean, Your Highness?"

"You know exactly what I mean! You told us that the Queen was going to enact a curse, and instead, she took our _daughter_. Where is she? Where is Emma? _Explain yourself_." James finished menacingly, leveling his gaze with the crazed imp.

"So many questions!" Rumplestiltskin sang, prancing to the door of his jail cell, and reaching a clawed hand around one of the bars before continuing.

"She _is_ going to enact a curse, dearie. I never said _when_, only that it would happen at..."

Rumplestiltskin flourished his hands in the air.

"…some point."

Letting out a giggle, he continued.

"As for the whereabouts of the Queen and the Princess, dearies, I have no idea." Rumplestiltskin finished with a shrug of his shoulders, smiling devilishly.

Prince James grabbed onto the imp's tunic, pulling him up against the bars in rage.

"We know you know where they are, you manipulative sorcerer, now TELL US before I do something I regret." James growled, pulling the imp's face closer to his own.

Snow stepped forward, placing a hand on her husband's arm, and looking at Rumplestiltskin with a confused and pained expression.

"Wait, so, _taking_ Emma..."

Snow's heart clenched painfully at the mention of her missing daughter, pausing a moment before continuing.

"…was all a part of Regina's plan to enact this…curse?"

Rumplestiltskin clapped his hands together excitedly, freeing himself from the Prince's grasp and leaping to the side.

"Exactly, dearie!"

Snow felt her heart plummet in her chest as the realization hit her, suddenly feeling as if an unbearable weight had been dropped upon her shoulders, crushing her. Turning to meet her husband's confused expression, she clutched at his hand with her own.

"We won't be able to get her back before the curse. Now that she has Emma, she can officially enact it. . . . ."

Snow trailed off as tears filled her eyes. Looking up at James, she saw her own heartbreak beginning to be reflected in his features as his expression fell. Her Prince began to choke as he realized the unalterable truth.

"We won't be able to reach her in time. We won't be able to save her from this." He whispered brokenly, feeling the crushing weight of failure as he had never felt before in his life, overwhelmed at the thought of being unable to protect his family.

Rumplestiltskin watched the couple's interaction with curiosity, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Perhaps it is not _you_ who will save _her_, but _she_ who will save _you_."

As if on cue, suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake. A roaring unlike Snow White had ever heard before filled her ears, the ceiling and walls beginning to rain dust as purple smoke swirled around them.

"SNOW!"

"JAMES!"

Crying out, she reached forward, feeling her husband's arms circling around her as she was pulled protectively to his chest.

From somewhere in front of them, as the world before her began to crumble, Snow White heard Rumplestiltskin giggle in glee and shriek out,

"_It has begun_!"

Snow White registered her Prince's arms tightening around her, as he tried desperately to protect her from something he had no idea how to face. Burying her face in his neck, she heard him whisper a phrase that broke her heart, and yet simultaneously instill it with hope.

"_Find us_, Emma. _Find us_."

It was the last thing she heard before everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina awoke with a start, straining her eyes against the morning light, and scanning her surroundings.

_Where was she?_

Sitting up in bed, she took in what appeared to be…._wooden walls_ painted with drab colors, and adorned with small paintings. Looking down at herself, she saw she wore some sort of silken sleep ware that included..._pants_? Pulling at her clothes in wonder, she arose from her bed, almost jumping in surprise as she sunk her feet into the fuzzy material that adorned the floors. Grinning triumphantly, she ran to the window and found a world unlike any she had ever seen.

_She had finally done it._

Smiling widely, she ran from the window to what she assumed was her new closet, opening it wide and running her fingers through the strange material within.

Before she could fully grasp the uses of these unfamiliar garments, a soft mewling echoing from the corner snapped her from her musings. Turning her head, she peered around the room and listened to the sound, a slow smile creeping its way across her face. For a second, Regina had forgotten the best and most crucial part of her plan- baby Emma. Smiling wickedly, she turned from her closet and padded over to the intricate wooden crib in the corner. Regina reached in and picked up the newborn, bouncing her gently against her shoulder.

"Shhh…Emma, it's alright. Arise and meet the day, my dear." Regina spoke softly, walking slowly to the window, and rocking Emma gently.

"Look what Mommy made." Regina cooed, grinning at the infant, and turning her so that she was facing out onto the town below.

Gurgling softly, Emma raised a tiny hand in the air. Smiling softly, Regina reached out and took Emma's hand.

"What do you think, sweetheart? Shall we go and make sure everything is perfect?"

Regina nuzzled her face closer to Emma's as she continued.

"Shall we go and make sure Snow White and Prince Charming don't remember you?"

Cackling softly to herself, Regina turned from the window, still cradling the newborn close to her chest.

Sure, there could be potential flaws in her plan. Things could still go wrong, and she now had to worry about raising a child as well as maintaining an amnesiac town, but the most important thing had been accomplished.

She had stolen Snow White's happiness.

Everything else was detail.

* * *

**_10 years__ later..._**

"Emma! Get down here, you're going to be late for school!"

Emma sighed, closing the storybook in defeat and pushing herself up off the bed.

"Coming, Mom!" Emma yelled as she shoved her feet into her sneakers and ran out of her room, taking the stairs two at a time as she raced to the front door.

Regina stood at the bottom of the stairs, tapping her foot impatiently, looking at her phone with one hand and dangling Emma's backpack from another. As Emma came to a screeching halt at her feet, Regina sighed audibly and held out the backpack for her daughter to slip on. Smirking, she looked down at the panting child.

"Ready, dear?"

Emma forced a smile at her mother as she hurriedly put her backpack on, shoving the leather bound book inside.

"Ready, Mom. Sorry for being late." Emma spoke quietly, averting her eyes from the sharp gaze of the woman above her.

Regina's expression softened, as she put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"It's quite alright, dear. Let's just not let it happen again, shall we?" Regina finished with a smile.

Emma nodded hurriedly, and turned to open the front door, jostling her backpack and causing her new book to fall to the floor.

Panic stricken, Emma rushed to retrieve the book, but froze as she saw her mother already picking up the storybook and eyeing it with suspicion.

"Once Upon a Time? What is this, Emma?" Regina looked coldly at the cover of the book, one manicured nail tracing the gold lettering of the title as her eyes narrowed in doubt.

Emma swallowed nervously, trying desperately to calm her nervous heartbeat.

"It's...It's just a book from school, Mom. Ms. Blanchard gave it to me to borrow."

Emma paled as she saw Regina's face twist in contempt, and in the next instant, be replaced by an expression of dangerous calm. Without looking up from the book, Regina spoke slowly and poignantly.

"You remember what I've always told you about Ms. Blanchard, don't you Emma dear?" Regina finished sweetly, glancing up at the small child in front of her.

Emma's insides twisted uncomfortably as she struggled to swallow.

"You told me that she is not to be trusted…. That beneath the mask of sweetness she is a manipulative, cruel woman who seeks only to hurt others." Emma mumbled under her breath, glancing up at her mother from beneath her long blonde tresses.

Regina smiled in satisfaction, bringing the book to her side as she turned to face her daughter more fully. Bending herself down to Emma's level, she looked into the girl's eyes.

"That's right, my dear. We should be careful about what we accept from this woman then, shouldn't we?"

Emma met her mother's eyes before casting hers downwards once again, muttering,

"Yes, Mom."

A slow smile crept across Regina's face as she stroked Emma's cheek, standing up and straightening her perfectly unwrinkled pantsuit.

"That's my girl."

As she turned to open the front door, she was surprised to hear Emma's voice speak up loudly from behind her.

"But…Mom, Ms. Blanchard seems like a really nice lady! And she really likes me! I don't think she would want to do anything mean to us! And…"

Regina turned slowly, looking at her daughter with piercing eyes. Emma stumbled for a moment before standing straighter, continuing on unfazed.

"..and, and I don't think it would be so bad if I kept the book. They're just stories, mom." Emma finished with a challenging look towards her mother, determined to stand tall against the woman's icy glare.

Regina stared at her daughter for a moment, contemplating the situation and cursing internally.

_She's got a bit of fire in her, just like her blasted parents._

It was too early still to tell her the truth of where she came from, and she didn't want Emma feeling as if she needed to fight against her or hide things from her...

No, that wouldn't do at all.

What harm could the stories do anyway? It's not as if the child would ever truly think that they were real. Forcing a smile, Regina spoke once again.

"Perhaps you are right, my dear. You can, of course, keep the storybook. Just remember what we always say." Regina finished with a smile, gently poking Emma's middle.

Brightening, Emma smiled and nodded knowingly.

"We can't trust anyone but ourselves."

Regina smiled lovingly at Emma, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked out the front door.

"That's my girl."

* * *

Waving at her mother, Emma ran away from the car and toward the Elementary School, waiting until her mother was out of sight before stopping and pulling the brown leather book out from her backpack. Heart pounding, she stared at the golden letters.

**Once Upon a Time_._**

_They're just stories_, she chided herself. And yet….

Opening the book, she reached out a small hand and traced the picture of Snow White and Prince Charming in their baby's nursery. And yet…they seemed so real. Why did the characters in these stories seem so much like the people in Storybrooke? Emma could have sworn that the Granny from Once Upon a Time and the Granny that ran Granny's Diner were the same person. They acted exactly the same, they had a granddaughter who acted exactly the same….

Emma was struck by a new thought.

_Which means Ruby would be Red Riding Hood._

Emma giggled at the thought of the fiery brunette dawning a bright red cape alongside her crossbow-toting Granny. Looking up as the school bell rang, Emma shoved the book back into her backpack, running into the building alongside a group of her classmates. As she took her seat in Ms. Blanchard's class, she looked up to find the kindly woman smiling at her. Emma smiled back, feeling the familiar warmth spread through her as it always did when Ms. Blanchard smiled at her. How could her mom think that Ms. Blanchard was bad? Ms. Blanchard was only ever kind and sweet to everyone.

_Just like Snow White. _

Seeing the other students pulling out their bird houses, and turning to pull out her own, Emma shook the thought from her head. She was being silly. Snow White was just a story, and Ms. Blanchard was just a really nice lady.

_Besides, _Emma thought, _if Ms. Blanchard was Snow White, Granny was Granny, and Ruby was Red Riding Hood, that would make her mom the Evil Queen, and that was crazy._

Glancing up at a picture the class had taken with the Mayor on their last field trip, Emma swallowed nervously, averting her eyes from her mother's steely gaze.

_Wasn't it?_


End file.
